"BRYCE" - AN ANALYTICAL ESSAY
Heyyy um so i made an essay on color theory in BRYCE and i wanted to show it to y'all!!! I'm going to post it on ao3, just waiting on the invite :sob:
this is my first post as well so i hope you guys like it!
“How does Brandon Rogers use colors to portray emotions and character relationships in ‘BRYCE’?”
Most people would easily overlook the colors in BRYCE and label them as simply aesthetically pleasing. Whilst, this may be true, the colors in BRYCE have a deeper, more implicit meaning. BRYCE (2023) is a YouTube web series written, directed and starring Brandon Rogers. In BRYCE, Rogers is narrating the origin and rise to power of the fictitious character (who is portrayed by Brandon Rogers, among many others in his universe) CEO Bryce Tankthrust. It documents her childhood, life as a woman in work in the 1980s and her success story over three twenty-four minutes episodes. Brandon Rogers utilises color theory in the lighting and clothing of Bryce Tankthrust to portray her subconscious emotions and the relationships between characters. Rogers uses a mixture of color motifs, color schemes and color psychology in BRYCE, making a more visually appealing piece of media.
Rogers expertly makes use of color psychology BRYCE, strategically lighting scenes in a way to show the subliminal emotions of the characters, without them necessarily saying so. Color psychology is how colors make us as an audience feel and cleverly creates a more immersive film. Brandon uses varying colors for different emotions, but a few scenes stick out to me. For example, at the start of BRYCE episode one: the scene in which Bryce is having a meeting with an investor- the office is pitch black, safe for a desk lamp.
Aswell as this, at the end of BRYCE episode two, Diane is shown looking inside of Bryce’s house. The entirety of her hallway is in darkness, creating a suspenseful atmosphere. These scenes are both interesting as the subjects (Mark Dutton and Diane) both end up dead by the end of the it. In film, directors often associate the color black with death and fear. This shows how Brandon Rogers cleverly uses color psychology to foreshadow upcoming tragedies.
Interestingly enough, this is not where Rogers use of color finishes. Building off of color psychology, Brandon uses color motifs throughout the series. Color motifs are reoccurring colors that are associated with a certain character, place, or event. Using color motifs helps, not only with the aesthetics of the film, but with storytelling as well. This allows us as the audience to link colors to characters.
For example, Bryce Tankthrust’s colors change throughout the series from blue to red. Blue is representing her desire to live a good and stable life and eventually she transitions to a red, which symbolises her power and the danger she gives off. And Bobby Worst (also played by Rogers) is consistently shown in green, portraying his evil tendencies, madness, toxic nature and also stability as Bryce has only ever perceived him in one color.
An example of color motifs would be in the confrontation scene younger Bryce has with her boyfriend (at the time) Donovan at the end of BRYCE episode one. The scene is split up with an intense blue and yellow light, symbolising the two characters. At the start of the argument, majority of Bryce’s face is in blue, a small part of her yellow. This shows how she is only focusing on herself and how she is the one in the right in this argument. However, when she realises that Donovan has fallen off of the cliff, Bryce’s face is now entirely yellow, with only the back of her head being blue. this portrays that her priorities are now Donovan and his wellbeing, her wants and needs being pushed to the back. Interestingly enough, when Bryce goes down to check on Donovan, the scene is an intense and dark blue, showing this overwhelming feeling of isolation and helplessness Bryce is now feeling as Donovan has died. She is now all on her own. Throughout this argument, the colors shift and vary showing Rogers expert use color motifs to show Bryce’s reactions and subconscious thoughts throughout the confrontation.
An another different, but interesting, example of color motifs in BRYCE is the development of Bryce’s home as she grows up. It is really interesting to see how her environment changes around her through the subtly of color psychology. For instance: at the start of BRYCE episode one, seven-year-old Bryce’s house is casted in an orange tint, representing the warmth she feels. Orange is used in film as a direct link to childhood and home, showing she feels safe and loved in that environment.
As she grows into a teenager, we often see Bryce’s house as a pastel pink color – a delicate and “innocent” mask over the very much abusive household. Aswell as this Rogers uses a subtle split of complimentary colors on either side of Bryce’s face. These chaotic colors yet again represent these underlying signs of abuse.
After her mom is imprisoned, the house is a dark orange, almost brown. This shows the emptiness she feels after the loss of not only her boyfriend, but now her mother. This darker take on the once childlike and warm orange after the absence of her mother, shows how she was the soul of the house – and now that soul is gone, leaving Bryce confused and helpless.
When Bryce kills Diane, the house was a dark pink. This is a more intense version on the pastel pink we as an audience are used to with Bryce’s home. This shows Bryce’s take on her femineity. She is taking charge in her own dark and twisted way.
Bryce’s new home is one that is large and extravagant, with white marble walls and golden accents. These colors represent her newfound riches and grandeur and also Bryce as a character: she is very flamboyant and ostentatious with her money, and this is shown through the colors in her mansion. This is showing how Rogers uses color motifs in the setting of BRYCE to show her overall development as a character.
Rogers shows relationships and emotions throughout BRYCE by using color theory techniques such as color motifs and color psychology through the lighting and clothing of the characters and settings. He uses colors psychology to give the audience a metaphorical view of her thoughts and feelings and color motifs to allow the audience to associate certain colors to characters and events. The colors used in BRYCE are intense and impactful, expertly symbolising the emotions of the characters and creating a more intense psychological experience for the viewer.
https://pin.it/29xBTn0Ui written by: @siintax_error on Instagram.